PEABODY — Legacy Lifecare, a senior care management company headquartered in Peabody and affiliated with Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, appointed Betsy Cross to the Vice President of Development position earlier this month.
Cross brings with her years of experience developing the fundraising efforts of nonprofit organizations like Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Natick Visiting Nurse Association, both of which she served as the director of development.
“In this role, I really feel like it brings together that kind of long, varied experience that I’ve had in development,” Cross said. “It brings me back to my roots of working in a very mission driven, community-based organization. But also, I have this experience of working for a very large, very sophisticated development office.”
Many of those who donate to Legacy Lifecare are residents or related to residents of one the organization’s affiliates, so they know first-hand the importance of the services the non-profit provides.
Cross’ jobs deals with engaging those in the community who believe in supporting senior living and thus cultivating a culture of philanthropy that ultimately makes the lives of residents better.
“You can literally see the impact of the philanthropy that comes in,” she said. “You can see it in the day-to-day operations. The care and compassion that the residents have at these facilities is just something I’ve never experienced or seen.”
Even as a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cross knew that this type of non-profit work was something she wanted to devote her life to. She started out interning for a listener-supported radio station in Berkeley, California, and ever since then she has only worked once for a for-profit enterprise.
“We are thrilled to have Betsy Cross on our leadership team,” said Adam Berman, President and CEO of Legacy Lifecare. “Betsy exhibits an innovative and strategic approach to fundraising. Moreover, her expertise, passion, creativity and drive are a tremendous asset to our organization.”
Now working for an organization that works with facilities that are over a century old, Cross has taken these first weeks at Legacy Lifecare to soak in the culture of each location and develop ideas on how to build on these strong foundations.
“Everybody I’ve met at all of the different locations, the residents are at the top of their mind all the time,” she said. “Working with a team of people who are really putting each person’s needs and wants and what is going to give them a fulfilling life first is really meaningful.”
